Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VW7’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Poinsettia plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by medium-sized, creamy white bracts, blooming consistently after 7.5 weeks of night-length of 13.5 hours or more, with a post-production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

Latin name of the genus and species: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Variety denomination: ‘ATN VW7’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘ATN VW7’ is a product of a planned breeding program.The new variety was discovered as a whole plant induced mutation fromthe original cultivar ‘ATN VR2’. The original cuttings were treated inFebruary 2004 with gamma rays at 25 Gy. The new cultivar was discoveredand selected by Leo van Zanten in November 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘ATN VW7’ by terminal cuttingswas performed in Oxnard, Calif., USA and has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type onsuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ATN VW7’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘ATN VW7’ which in combination distinguishthis Poinsettia as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Creamy white bract color;    -   2. Medium sized bracts in tight and flat rosette-like        arrangement;    -   3. Dark-green foliage with moderate lobes;    -   4. Bracts are medium-sized, v-shaped with the branches slanting        upright;    -   5. Beginning of flowering after 7.5 weeks of night-length of        13.5 hours or more and;    -   6. Post production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

In comparison to the parent variety ‘ATN VR2’ (which is the subject ofPlant Pat. No. 17,522) ‘ATN VW7’ is taller and has a wider plant spread.Also, the new variety ‘ATN VW7’ has larger leaves and darker greenfoliage. Additionally, the new variety ‘ATN VW7’ has a largerinflorescence diameter but the parent variety ‘ATN VR2’ has more bractsper inflorescence. Finally, the bracts of the new cultivar ‘ATN VW7’ area creamy yellow-white compared to the red bracts of the parent variety.

In comparison to the commercially available variety ‘Fiswhite Silver’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,626), ‘ATN VW7’ is taller but smaller in plantspread than the comparable variety. Also, ‘ATN VW7’ has darker greenfoliage with more moderate lobes and more bracts per inflorescence.Additionally, ‘ATN VW7’ has a shorter flowering response time and ismarketable a week earlier. Finally, ‘ATN VW7’ has creamieryellow-colored bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates in full color a typical plant of‘ATN VW7’ grown in a 6.5-inch pot. One cutting was used in the pot,planted in late August and grown in a greenhouse using approximately4,000-foot candles of light. The colors are as nearly true as isreasonably possible in a color representation of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘ATN VW7’ plants grown in Oxnard, VenturaCounty, Calif., from late August to late November of 2006. The growingtemperature ranged from 18° C. to 20° C. at night to 20° C. to 24° C.during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar ‘ATN VW7.’-   Commercial classification: Poinsettia.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate rooting: Approximately 10 days at 20-22° C.-   Time to develop roots: Sufficiently rooted for transplanting after    about 25 days in a greenhouse at temperature of 20-22° C.

PLANT

-   Form: Mounding inverted triangle self-branching, mounded top of    plant.-   Growth habit: Moderately compact structure, pinched plants are bushy    with the branches upright directed at an angle of roughly 35    degrees, foliage canopy uniformly rounded.-   Height: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 36 cm.-   Plant spread: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 38 cm.-   Growth rate: Low to medium vigor.-   Branching characteristics: Free-branching.-   Diameter of branches: Approximately 0.8 cm.-   Average number of branches: Approximately 7 after pinching.-   Length of lateral branches: Approximately 26 cm.-   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Approximately 14.-   Stem color: Near Green 143C.-   Age of plant described: Approximately 120 days.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate single.        -   Average length.—Approximately 12 cm.        -   Average width.—Approximately 8 cm.        -   Shape of blade.—Ovate.        -   Lobes.—Moderate lobes.        -   Tip.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Rounded to almost truncate.        -   Attachment.—Stalked.        -   Margin.—Entire, apart from the lobes.        -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.        -   Leaf internode length.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near Yellow-Green 146A.            Young foliage under side: Near Yellow-Green 146B. Mature            foliage upper side: Near Yellow-Green 147A. Mature foliage            under side: Near Yellow-Green 147A.        -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate. Venation color upper side: Near            Yellow-Green 145A. Venation color under side: Near            Yellow-Green 145B.-   Petiole:    -   -   Average length.—Approximately 4.5 cm.        -   Color.—Near Yellow-Green 145A.        -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.3 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Aspect.—Petioles are horizontally directed.

FLOWER

-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Inflorescence description.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the            cyathia.        -   Blooming habit.—Begin under natural short day conditions in            the fall: Botanically (cyathia open) in late December.            Commercially (bracts colored, marketable in late November).        -   Flowering response time.—60 days after beginning of short            days (nights longer than 13.5 hours.)        -   Flowering description.—Whole inflorescence with surrounding            bracts. About medium-size, star-shaped, with the bracts            directed in a tight arrangement and overlapping.        -   Natural flowering season.—Mainly from late November to late            December.        -   Number of inflorescences per lateral branch.—Approximately            1.        -   Diameter of inflorescence.—Approximately 15 cm.        -   Height of inflorescence.—Approximately 7 cm.        -   Number of bracts per inflorescence.—About 16.        -   Persistence.—Persistent.-   Bracts:    -   -   Length of largest bracts.—About 12.5 cm.        -   Width of largest bracts.—About 10.5 cm.        -   Keeping quality.—Plants have a post-production longevity of            6 weeks.        -   Shape.—Ovate, with moderate lobes.        -   Base.—Obtuse, moderate lobes with acute tips.        -   Terminal tip.—Acuminate.-   Texture:    -   -   Upper surface.—Glabrous, velvety.        -   Lower surface.—Glabrous velvety.        -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.-   Color:    -   -   Developing bracts.—Upper surface: Near Yellow 2D. Lower            surface: Near Yellow 2D.        -   Mature bracts.—Upper surface: Near Yellow 9D. Lower Surface:            Near Yellow 9D.-   Bract petiole:    -   -   Length.—Approximately 3.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.3 cm.        -   Color.—Near Greyed-Yellow 160C.-   Cyathium: About 12 per corymb.-   Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 3.2 cm.-   Length of individual cyathia: Approximately 1.1 cm.-   Width of individual cyathia: Approximately 0.7 cm.-   Shape: Ovoid.-   Color:    -   -   Immature.—Near Yellow 9B.        -   Mature.—Near Yellow 12A.-   Aging: Near Yellow 13A.-   Nectar cups/nectaries:    -   -   Quantity.—One or two per cyathium.        -   Width.—Up to 4 mm wide.        -   Color.—Near Yellow 9A.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Length.—About 0.4 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 0.3 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Aspect.—Upright.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Color.—Near Yellow-Green 145A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Approximately 15 in a cluster.        -   Anther shape.—Bi-lobed.        -   Anther length.—About 0.2 cm.        -   Anther color.—Near Yellow 8B.        -   Quantity of pollen.—Moderate.        -   Pollen color.—Near Yellow-Orange 14A.-   Pistils: None observed.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: No resistance nor susceptibility has been    observed to pests and diseases of poinsettia crops.-   Fruit/seed production: No seed observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VW7’ asherein illustrated and described.